Community engagement strategy

Our community engagement strategy is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth - promoting sustained inclusive and sustainable economic growth. This strategy aims to develop full and productive employment and decent work for all.

DIY SOS – the 2019 BBC Children In Need Big Build

The Sunbelt Rentals Preston team found out about the 2019 BBC DIY SOS Big Build for Children In Need, which was supporting a local charity, Nightsafe in Blackburn. Nightsafe gives young homeless people aged 16-24 a place they can call home - somewhere that they can be safe and helped. Home is a place we can too often take for granted, but there are so many young people out there that have no home.

Community Partners – Service Veterans

The Armed Forces Covenant

Sunbelt Rentals signed the Armed Forces Covenant on the 10 March 2016, committing us to support veterans into sustainable employment in civilian life.

Walking with the Wounded

Sunbelt Rentals is proud to work with Walking With The Wounded.

Since 2010 Walking with the Wounded has provided a pathway for vulnerable veterans to re-integrate back into society. Veterans who have been physically, mentally or socially disadvantaged by their service are assisted in sustaining independence by the identification of new sustainable careers outside of the military. The team provides support to homeless veterans and veterans in the Criminal Justice System, areas which are too often ignored. The outcome? Sustainable employment, and independence for them and their families.

Walking with the Wounded Cumbrian Challenge 2020

Five Sunbelt Rentals teams are looking forward to raising vital funds to support Walking With The Wounded’s essential work through the Cumbrian Challenge 2020 on 3 October 2020. You can search for ‘Sunbelt’ if you’d like to sponsor a team or why not join us and enter a team yourself?

Employing veterans into sustainable careers

Sunbelt Rentals employs many ex-military personnel. Our Director Jim McLachlan, a Falklands War veteran has a message to veterans considering their next career move:

“Never underestimate how well you’ve been trained. The training you’ve received as you’ve come up through every rank is second to none. You can accept responsibility and ‘get the job done right’. Everything you’ve ever done in the forces has been done to the very highest quality. The skills you’ve gained around logistics, around moving troops and fleets of helicopters, planes and tanks are all vitally important. They are highly valued in companies like Sunbelt Rentals and within our industry.”  You can read more about Jim’s military career and service here.

Sunbelt Rentals recruitment team is committed to supporting veterans into sustainable careers and is working closely with the Welfare Officers to identify suitable opportunities for operational, support and management positions across the UK.

Charities

Sunbelt Rentals is proud to support several corporate charities:

The Prince’s Trust is open to young people aged 11 to 30 from all over the UK - no matter if they have been facing some serious issues such as homelessness or if they've been in trouble with the law. It offers hundreds of free courses, grants and mentoring opportunities to inspire young people to build their confidence, start a career and achieve their full potential.

With a fair education, everything’s possible. With great teachers, with brilliant leaders, with the right policy and connections, schools will thrive. And so will our children. Schools do an amazing job in tough conditions. We’re on the side of the schools and pupils facing the biggest challenges.

The Lighthouse Club is the only charity that provides financial and emotional support to the construction community and their families who have suffered an injury, long term illness or simply need a helping hand.

Little World Café Case Study

Our Bootle team supported the Earth Star Project and the Little World Cafe in creating their community project at the back of their depot. The project includes Mycelium remediation research, a mushroom which ‘eats’ plastic which may help reduce the amount of plastic currently wasted and sent to landfill, as well as a sustainable urban farm and an education facility.

Opportunities for Veterans at Sunbelt – case study

Jim McLachlan joined the army as a boy soldier at the age of 16 in 1975 in the Royal Corps of Signals - the Army’s professional communicators, providing vital communications for all operational campaigns across the world. After 24 years’ service in the Royal Signals, he attained the rank of Warrant Officer Class 1, and the appointment of Regimental Sergeant Major Class 1, having completed tours of Germany, Northern Ireland, Falklands, Cyprus, Belize and Bosnia.

Walking with the Wounded Cumbrian Golf Challenge 2019

Sunbelt Rentals joined forces with BAE Systems in June 2019 to organise and host a corporate golf day, which raised enough money to support six service veterans through a full mental health support programme. We hope to repeat this event and make it bigger and better in 2020.